Samuel b



(ModeL) S. B. SPITZ.

Ear Muff.

N o,243,1ss. Patented June 21,1881.

Laue/nib? N. PETERS, Phabuthomp w. Walfunbn. I)v C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. SPITZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EAR-MUFF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,168, dated June 21, 1881.

Application filed March 24, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. SPITZ, of New York city, county, and State, have invented a new and Improved Ear Protector or Muff; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved protector Fig. 2, an inside view of the same, and Fig. 3 a sectional view taken on the line 00 00, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts.

My invention has for its object to provide improved protectors or muffs for protecting the ears of persons in severe cold weather, which can be readily applied and removed, and which will conform closely to the ears and be less conspicuous than the protectors now ingeneral use.

To this end the invention consists, primarily, of an ear protector or muff stamped, molded, pressed, or otherwise formed in the shape of the external human ear, and adapted to substantially conform to the concavities of the ear and also to inclose the rim of the same.

It further consists in forming the protector of an exterior of plush, velvet, cloth, silk, or other analogous material, with a soft warm lining of suitable material, and with an intermediate stiffening material, whereby the shape imparted to the article is permanently retained, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, A represents the protector pressed, crimped,n1olded, or otherwise formed so as to fit over and inclose the exterior of the ear and to conform to the irregularities thereof, as shown.

The material which 1 preferably employ in the construction of the ordinary cheap article is plush of any desired color for the outside portion, a, and fibrous woolly flannel for the interior or lining, b, and an intermediate stiffening, c, of any suitable material; but for a better class of goods the outer portion may be made of velvet, preferably of flesh-color, to render the article less conspicuous, while the lining is made of any soft, fleecy, warm material. A sufficient stiffening is obtained from (Model) the glue or cement which joins the exterior and lining together.

Various other modes of uniting the parts may be resorted to and other materials employ ed without departing from the main idea of the invention, which is to provide a protector that will conform closely to the outlines of the ear and be therefore warmer and less conspicuous than the rather unsightly articles at present in use.

An elastic string or cord is intended to be attached to the lower ends of a pair of the articles for the purpose of connecting the same together and to assist in holding them on the ears of the wearer by being passed around under his chin.

1 make the articles of various sizes and shapes, so as to fit to various sizes and differently-shaped ears. Instead of making them of several parts, they may be formed out of a single piece of any material having sufficient stiffness to preserve the shape imparted to it.

It will be observed that in my invention there are no stiffening-wires to fit about and cut into the ear, nor is there any binding about the edges to rub the back of the ear, as in some prior inventions; but the article, by its conformity to the shape of the ear, is readily retained in place without the use of wires, and its edges are left raw and lie softly upon the ear, and are not in the least uncomfortable.

I claim as my invention- 1. An ear protector or mufi stamped, molded, pressed, or otherwise formed in the shape of the external human ear, and adapted to substantially conform to the eoncavities of the ear and to inclose the rim of the same, substantially as described.

2. An ear protector or muff stamped, molded, pressed, or otherwise formed in the shape of the external human ear and adapted to substantially conform to the concavities of the ear, and also to inclose the rim of the same, and consisting of an exterior of plush, velvet, cloth, silk, or other analogous material, a lining of some soft, warm material, and an intermediate stifiening material to preserve the shape, substantially as described.

SAMUEL B. SPITZ.

Witnesses DAVID KAPLAN, OSCAR STERN. 

